BA Athletics Club News Digest 16th November 2015

Events:

Wednesday 25th November - Club In-house Event, 5 mile handicap, at Heston
Venue from 18:00 followed by social from 20:00.*

Thursday 3rd December - Dream Mile on the Bath Road from 12:45*.
With mince pies and mulled wine promised!

Sunday 6th December - Run of the Month - Perivale Five*
10:00 (book now to avoid sell out, fewer than 50 places left).

New members and non-members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome
at all of these events. The full diary of club featured
events is on the club website at:
http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml. Updated 11th November.

Ladies Surrey League Cross Country Saturday 7th November Results

Although it is five members to score, our team of two managed to beat five of
the other 36 teams. Just think what we'd achieve with a full team!

Reminder: Run of
the Month for December - Perivale Five from 10:00 on Sunday 6th December

Although I won't be at this year's Perivale Five we normally have half a dozen runners at the event. The event has a
fast, flat two lap course and could be a good five mile run to do before the
club's five mile handicap run the following Wednesday. There is also an
under 15s 2km fun run at 11:15. The event starts and finishes at the Perivale
Park Athletics Track - see club map. More details and entries:
https://sites.google.com/site/ealingsouthallmiddlesex/home/club-events/perivale-5

As of 21:30 on Monday there were 47 places left.

Roderick Hoffman

Club parkrun results for Saturday 14th November 2015

14th Nov 2015

Family, Friends,+

Time

parkrun

Comment

Grade

Adrian

Haines

18:04

Tilgate

run #21, 15th at Tilgate

80%

Julie

Barclay

23:04

Frimley Lodge

run #54, 6th at Frimley

74%

John

Coffey

25:17

Bushy Park

run #189, 171st at Bushy

73%

Chris

Kelly

20:45

Southsea

run #261, park #27

71%

Jonathan

Cox

21:35

Bushy Park

run #255, 246th at Bushy

71%

Alan

Anderson

30:07

Gunnersbury

run #384, 164th at Gunsbury

70%

Ian

Cunningham

22:01

Bushy Park

run #217, 186th at Bushy

69%

Richard

Ruffell

22:20

Rushmere

BA Park #207, park #47

68%

Alan

Friar

27:31

Reading

run #180, 127th at Reading

65%

James

Glover

23:39

Guildford

run #16, 13th at Guildford

62%

Scott

Davison

22:35

Bedfont Lakes

run #137, 125th at Bedfont

62%

Ben

Chaytow

21:50

Crane Park

run #114, 94th at Crane Park

62%

Lissa

Pritchard

24:30

Gunnersbury

run #11, 6th at Gunnersbury

61%

Roderick

Hoffman

25:42

Lee on the Solent

BA park #208, park #130

60%

Kevin

Holland

29:26

Woking

run #29, 17th at Woking

58%

David

Duggan

27:53

Bedfont Lakes

run #121, 84th at Bedfont

55%

Neil

Frediani

28:41

Bedfont Lakes

run #129, 83rd at Bedfont

55%

Steve

Newell

32:32

Gladstone Park

run #199, 2nd at Gladstone

55%

Joe

Nolan

29:15

Black Park

run #241, 226th at Black Park

55%

Sarah

Gordon

34:46

Lee on the Solent

run #85, park #51

54%

John

Lennon

28:42

Bedfont Lakes

run #182, 171st at Bedfont

53%

Janet

Smith

32:33

Black Park

run #39, 25th at Black Park

52%

Caroline

Cockram

31:35

Havant

run #202, 1st at Havant

51%

Denis

Foxley

volunteer

Harrow

timekeeper

Joan

Foxley

volunteer

Harrow

barcode scanning

Alastair

Heslop

volunteer

Guildford

barcode scanning

Kerstin

Luksch

volunteer

Gunnersbury

lead bike

The grim weather and the grim news from Paris didn't make for an ideal
morning but most parkruns went ahead anyway. Fell Foot by Lake Windermere
was one which had to be cancelled because the course was under water [course
photo below from parkrun tourist Jo Yarnell].

A notable record which slipped in under the radar last week was a 13:29 by
Danny Sidbury at Dulwich in a racing wheelchair. He has actually done a
13:27 "assisted" (that probably means dog assisted). Anyway for the time
being, 13:29 is the parkrun record. Dulwich is an all tarmac three lap
course with no sharp corners or serious gradients to worry about.
Recommended for a fast time.

Many of our runners were at their "home" course this week and the outstanding
performance was an 18:04 (80%) by Adrian Haines at Tilgate. John Coffey
(25:17, 73%) returned to Bushy Park (where he has done 90% of his runs) for the
first time in six months. Julie Barclay (23:04, 74%) seems to have adopted
Frimley Lodge as her new home this autumn. Her sixth consecutive run
there.

Our tourists were also in action. Richard Ruffell (22:20, 68%) ran at
the recently started Rushmere Country Park parkrun near Leighton Buzzard. That
made it 207 for the club and 47 for him. Don't confuse it with Rushmer or
Rushmoor. Roderick Hoffman (25:42, 60%) was at Lee-on-the-Solent to make
it 208 for the club and 130 for him. His sister, Sarah Gordon, was there
too this week and she has now done more than 50 herself. The Deep South
attracted two more of our athletes this week with Caroline Cockram (31:35)
running at Havant for the first time while Chris Kelly (20:45) was trying the
parkrun along Southsea Esplanade which can be breezy.

Neil Frediani (28:41) ran with our newest member (that's John Lennon (28:42),
not Neil's puppy) at Bedfont Lakes. Just Imagine.

Parkrun Tourism

As a demonstration of why I say "I don't do cross country" - I had
pushed myself at Brentwood the previous week but only managed 30:42 on a
challenging but very scenic country park course. This week at
Lee-on-the-Solent with a 99% flat, straight, solid surface promenade
course, albeit with a strong cross windseaabreeze from the side, I managed 25:42
so exactly a one minute a kilometer improvement. As for the
scenery, well one could just about make out the Isle-of-Wight as a grey
shape out to sea. And we ran past a Hovercraft Museum; which I neglected
to visit later., I managed 25:42
so exactly a one minute a kilometer improvement. As for the
scenery, well one could just about make out the Isle-of-Wight as a grey
shape out to sea. And we ran past a Hovercraft Museum; which I neglected
to visit later.

My age grade last week was 50% and this week it was 60%. Across
all runners at each event the average age grade was 51% at Brentwood and
54% at Lee-on-the-Solent. Without a full scientific assessment I'd
say you have a better bet for a parkrun PB at Lee-on-the-Solent than at
Brentwood.

Roderick Hoffman

Meet the Committee - Eddie Giles, Track & Field Captain

My job on the committee is that of Track & Field Captain, organising
the team for the Rosenheim & Vets league, six club Grand Prix events,
the BA Championships, and Monday evening training sessions, each season.
This then is reported back to the Digest and our Monthly meeting with
all the results.

I have been with the BA Athletic Club since 2004 and have been T&F
Captain for the last 7 years. Although not a BA employee, my
Father–in-law worked there, and was the Hatton Cross Club Chairman, and
we were always going to the socials there. I have bagged a few sprint
records with the club, but noticed a quick turn of pace at the junior
school. When the bell rang for Morning play time, the teacher
would say “walk to the hall, and only take 1 bottle of milk”. Well
we walked in a line till we were out of sight, then sprint to the hall
to claim our 1/3 pint of milk. Always there first I would grab one
bottle for the left pocket, one for the right and one in hand. The
ones at the back were out of luck as the milk ran out, having to have
1/3 pint of orange with bits in instead!! Progressed to Sprinting in
the District sports for Junior & Senior school, but only returned to
running as a veteran.

Eddie Giles

Ed: Having read how you got into running could I
just check something - did we ever return that Olympic Touch we
borrowed?

Running Shorts and not so Shorts

St. Neots Half Marathon 15th Nov 2015

I ran in the St. Neots Half Marathon. It is advertised as a
very flat course - but I'd say it as quite similar to the Ealing Half
with 3 or 4 definite hills. The last 3 miles were meant to be downhill -
they were but the slope for miles 11 and 12 was so gentle you would
hardly know it! However on the day the small hills were the least of our
worries - it was exceptionally windy and it always seemed to be a cross
wind or coming straight into our faces!

With my knees still giving me
problems I've lost a lot of fitness and have put on about 4kg over the
last 6 months and could only just scrape in under 1:45 - finishing in a
time of 1:44:32.

Piers Keenleyside

Have you noticed? It's dark in the evenings. So don't forget
your hi-vis kit. That way we won't forget you!

Rotary Berkhamsted Half Marathon Sunday 6th March 2016

Registration for next year's race is now open and you can enter
either through the Runners World website or by posting an entry form to
us. In any event all the details and links for entering the race can be
found at our website:
www.berkorun.com

The race starts near Berkhamsted Station and there is parking at the
station car park and other nearby car parks. The nearby town centre has
many places to eat and drink after the race whether you'd like a
take-away, pub grub or smart restaurant.

Your Entry helps Rotary raise funds primarily for two local care
organisations, the Pepper Foundation, looking after life limited
children and the Hospice of St Francis together with many other local
charities and organisations.

NEW MEDAL This year we're introducing a brand new, bespoke
Medal reflecting the history of Berkhamsted featuring the old castle
built in the 11th Century. It will be a great addition to any runner's
collection.

SPORTS TOTE BAG We'll be handing out a useful Sports Tote Bag
containing refreshment and a collection of money off vouchers to all
competitors as well.

We've improved the facilities again this year and don't forget
there's a prize of £100 to the winner! Do book early as numbers are
limited and we can't guarantee a place if you leave registering until
race day.

If you don't feel like running the full Half Marathon this time why
not go for our 5 Mile Fun Run - entry in the same place.